Saturn experiment

[nascarnation]

97 SOHC, 115,000 miles
consumption approx 1qt/1000 5w30 conventional (Pennzoil, Valvoline, etc)
(no additives, cleaners, etc used here)
Mobil 0W40: 1 qt in 3000 miles

GC: half qt in 3500 miles

(changing @ 6 months rather than miles due to many short trips - Mobil was in for summer)

Next trial is Rotella 5W40

 

[VTEC01EX]

Another poster here reports dramatically reduces consumption in a Saturn SL of the same era using HDEO. I believe he's using either Rotella or Delo in 15w40. It might be something else to try if you're trying to get consumption down.

 

[The_Jeff]

Only sort of works for me... 1 qt/600 miles with xW30, 1 qt/800-1000 with xW40. Have run Mobil 1 0w40, superflo 10w40, chevron supreme 10w40... all the same. Wifey's car, not quite as bad but a similar spread. She's had Pennzoil LL 15w40 with a slight improvement in consumption, and lowrange power.

Our valve seals are shot, I'm pretty sure, and the puff of smoke pulling away from stop signs kicks in knock retard that the computer remembers for hundreds of miles. The xw40 makes the cars somewhat peppier, and reducing that puff is my theory why.

Many good used oil analysis come in on Saturns on xw40 so it's not too thick. Glad it's working for you.

ToyotaNsaturn is the user who's done more experimenting. I think he has a twin cam which, of course, has totally different valve guide seals. The bottom end (rings) of Saturns is the fabled weak point, is common between DOHCs and SOHCs, but mine seem ok.

95 SW1 (mine), 161k; 96 SL (hers), 134k. Both SOHC. Auto-RX currently is in my sump; no difference noted yet.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Nascarnation,
I agree with your decision to move away from the 5w30 oils in this car when consumption occurs.

I do suggest 2 treatments of AutoRx to clean things up and hopefully help unstick those rings. Give Pennzoil High Mileage a shot in the 10w-40 flavor. (Michael Wan, same suggestion for your Saturn!

)

These High Mileage oils were mostly hype to me for a long while. But for a high mileage Saturn, it's a perfect fit IMO once Auto-Rx has done all the cleaning and seal reconditioning that it can.

 

[nascarnation]

Thanks for the info!

My daughter has this car @ college so I was looking for reduced consumption since it's not getting great maintenance attention up there.

When she's done in 2 yrs and gives it back to me I'll probably go back to the cheap stuff after a valve seal replacement.
Car has spent its entire life in high school and college parking lots and still looks great. Love that plastic body.